Forum sees a 'New Worcester' with theater district in key role

Thursday

Nov 29, 2012 at 6:00 AMNov 29, 2012 at 8:45 AM

By Steven H. Foskett Jr. TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

The Worcester Business Development Corp.'s plan for a 35-acre theater district downtown, anchored by The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, is built around attracting the city's colleges to the urban core, WBDC President Craig Blais told an audience at the theater last night.

“We want to encourage a place for them to work, to live, to study, and to play,” said Mr. Blais, as part of the theater's Lyceum Series presentation on “Building the New Worcester.”

The roundtable forum included Mr. Blais; James McKeag of the Downtown Neighborhood Alliance; Deborah Packard, director of Preservation Worcester; and Timothy McGourthy, the city's chief development officer.

The roundtable featured presentations from each panelist, but interest in the community has been about the WBDC's proposed theater district plan.

The plan, a result of a partnership between the WBDC and the city, would capitalize on the private nonprofit's success in helping renovate the Hanover Theatre and its recent acquisition of the former Telegram & Gazette headquarters and parking lot on Franklin and Federal streets.

Residents and business neighbors in the area have praised the plan, which includes a vision of vibrant, pedestrian-friendly walkways; ornate lighting; parking improvements; and mixed-use developments. There are plans to close Federal Street to vehicle traffic to encourage the development of an “outdoor room,” and there's a plan for a pedestrian walkway that spans Portland Street from the old T&G parking lot to the Worcester Public Library.

Mr. Blais said last night the old T&G building will be redesigned to meet green building standards, and said there's a possibility of constructing a community garden on the roof of the old press operation facing Federal Street.

Criticism of the plan has centered on a proposal to construct an ice rink in the municipal parking lot next to the library. A library board task force has recommended against putting an ice rink there because of the impact it would have on access for library patrons, along with aesthetic concerns about how it would fit in the neighborhood.

Residents have also criticized the ice rink plan, including Nicole Apostola and Stephen Mita, who have proposed an alternative plan for the development of the lot.

Mr. Blais' presentation of the theater district proposal was somewhat less granular in detail than a presentation given at a meeting at the library a few weeks ago.

There was no mention of the ice rink until a question-and-answer session after the roundtable when City Councilor-at-Large Konstantina B. Lukes questioned the wisdom of putting it there and asked how it is compatible with other uses in the neighborhood and in the plan.

Mr. Blais said that 15 years ago, he and the city met with local colleges about a plan that would bring them downtown that included bookstores, shared classroom space and dormitories.

“Fifteen years later, those items didn't occur, they didn't happen,” Mr. Blais said. “Why? It was not in the college's best interests. … This time, when we sat down with the stakeholders, we said what do you want?”

Mr. Blais said rink time was one topic that came up in the most recent discussions, noting that several colleges have to go outside the city for rink time for their hockey teams. He said the rink idea was one of many topics that came up.

“I think we can design a block that will make it work,” Mr. Blais said.

Ms. Lukes said she still didn't like the idea.

“I sincerely hope there's another location for the ice rink,” she said.